Ethiopia Announces Plan to Build 51M USD Ethanol Plant

August 29, 2017 - An ethanol plant is to be built at Wonji Shoa sugar factory at a cost of 51 million US dollars, Fana broadcasting corporate reported. The construction of the first phase of the plant will be commenced in early upcoming Ethiopian New Year, which starts next month, and the second phase after next year.

Once completed, the new Ethiopia’s ethanol plant will produce 60,000 liters of ethanol per day using molasses, a by-product of sugar, from Wonji Shoa sugar factory, the report noted. Fincha and Metehara are the two sugar factories in Ethiopia that are currently producing ethanol from molasses.

The plant will be erected jointly with Germany’s Eugen Schmitt Company, according to Gashaw Aychiluhim, corporate communication executive office of the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation.

The German company will have 83 percent of the share, while the government of Ethiopia and three other shareholders will take the remaining 14 and 3 percent shares, respectively, he said.